Beazer East/Koppers Superfund refugee, Ann Lowry speaks out about the upcoming art show for Gainesville, Florida Koppers Superfund “feel good” art show that received a state grant (your tax dollars) to put on this art show.

“Perhaps the money would have better spent on my $90,000+/year medication bills. I’m not even talking about hospitalizations, multiple MD visits, wheelchairs, walkers, leg braces. Sorry, but this art thing doesn’t do a damned thing for me except piss me off that money was wasted. Heck, given the materials, I could have produced better art than most of what is shown.“– Anne Lowry 02-23-12

Art show Info:

“Region4: Transformation Through Imagination was organized by the Superfund Art Project (SAP) in collaboration with Protect Gainesville Citizens (PGC).The exhibition and related programs are funded in part by a grant from the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs(DCA) and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and are managed by oconnorartLLC, a Gainesville-based art consulting business.”

Once Again American Public Denied Right to Know and Ability to Protect Families from Unnecessary Exposure
Advocates Urge EPA to Immediately Release Dioxin Health Report, Decry 27 Years of Delays Due to Chemical Industry Interference

(Falls Church, VA) For twenty seven years, the American public has been kept in the dark about the health impacts of dioxin. Today environmental health advocates strongly condemned the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for once again failing to meet their January 31st deadline to release their report on the noncancer impacts of dioxin.

“Shame on EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson for denying parents the information they need to protect their children from the health impacts of dioxin,” said Lois Marie Gibbs, Executive Director of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ). “This is America — parents have the right to know.

Today the EPA has once again caved into pressure from Dow Chemical and their chemical industry cronies. EPA shouldn’t cave in to chemical industry dollars and interests over public health.

Cancer, diabetes, infertility, learning disabilities and other chronic diseases linked to dioxin exposure are extremely costly to American taxpayers. EPA missed yet another deadline to release their report on dioxin, one of the most toxic chemicals on the planet. In recent months, the chemical industry has been working behind closed doors to hide and distort the truth about the dangers of dioxin.

At the same time, Vietnam Veterans, breast cancer advocates, public health organizations, and environmental justice leaders have stood shoulder to shoulder and urged EPA to do what’s right for the health of American children and families. We call on EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to immediately release this important report. We can’t wait any longer.”

EPA has been under intense pressure by environmental health, environmental justice, labor, health-impacted, and Vietnam Veterans organizations to release the non-cancer health assessment in recent weeks and ever since President Obama entered office. Last week, a letter was delivered to EPA Administrator Jackson signed by over 2,000 organizations and individuals from across the country.

In January, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee and senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, sent EPA a letter urging the agency to finalize this dioxin assessment. In April, Rep. Markey and 72 members of Congress sent a letter to EPA calling on the agency to release the report.

Dioxin is a known human carcinogen. Dioxin also causes a wide range of adverse non-cancer effects including reproductive, developmental, immunological, and endocrine effects in both animals and humans. Animal studies show that dioxin exposure is associated with endometriosis, decreased fertility, inability to carry pregnancies to term, lowered testosterone levels, decreased sperm counts, birth defects, and learning disabilities. In children, dioxin exposure has been associated with IQ deficits, delays in psychomotor and neurodevelopment, and altered behavior including hyperactivity. Studies in workers have found lowered testosterone levels, decreased testis size, and birth defects in offspring of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

Dioxin’s effects on the immune system of the developing organism appear to be among the most sensitive endpoints studied. Animal studies show decreased immune response and increased susceptibility to infectious disease. In human studies, dioxin was associated with immune system depression and alterations in immune status leading to increased infections. Dioxin can also disrupt the normal function of hormones—chemical messengers that the boddy uses for growth and regulation. Dioxin interferes with thyroid levels in infants and adults, alters glucose tolerance, and has been linked to diabetes.

January 11, 2012: International Dairy Food Association (IDFA) and other members of the Food Industry Dioxin Working Group, a coalition of agriculture, processing and retail food industry organizations that have been pressuring EPA and the Obama Administration to once again delay the release of the dioxin report, formally ask EPA to withdraw its dioxin risk reassessment from interagency review and remove it from EPA’s regulatory schedule. http://www.idfa.org/news–views/details/6833/

November 2, 2011: IDFA writes to U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and requests that the two agencies “urge EPA to pursue scientific review by the National Academy of Sciences of any proposed reference dose and to coordinate with your agencies any actions that could undermine consumer confidence in the safety of our food supply.” http://www.idfa.org/files/resources/idfa_dioxin_letter_vilsack_hamburg_102811.pdf

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